Gregorio Paltrinieri is gold with the relay.
Gregorio Paltrinieri golden
Amid currents, jellyfish, logs and foam, Italfondo fishes for a gold it has never swum. Closing out the title at Seaside Momochi beach in Fukuoka is world champion Italy, winning the 4×1500 with rookie Barbara Pozzobon and three-quarters of the European champion and outgoing world bronze medalist team: Ginevra Taddeucci, Domenico Acerenza and Gregorio Paltrinieri. The Azzurri triumphed with the solo finish of the ruler of the waters (salt, sweet and chlorinated, it changes little), SuperGreg who touched in 1h10’31″2 before climbing back onto the pontoon and jumping into the embrace of his teammates. The last to fall was Hungary’s David Bethlem (1h10’35″2), who did not keep up with the captain who will now get a couple of days’ rest before setting himself in pool mode for 800 and 1500. Third is Australia in 1h11’26″7, which at the touch leaves five-time defending champion Germany off the podium, with champion with an Italian heart Leonie Beck on the team, but not Florian Wellbrock, capable already in Gwangju of winning both the 10 kilometers and the 1500 rainbow he saved himself for. This is a gold never won by Italy, which had won a similar medal for the sum of individual times in Sharm el Sheikh in 2002, when the specialty world championships were still being held, with Luca Baldini, Stefano Rubaudo (now the technical coordinator of the blue squadron) and Viola Valli. The only new addition is Barbara Pozzobon, who takes the place of Gabbrielleschi from last year’s Lupa Lake, and Bruni from the continental championships.
Paltrinieri’s comment: “We are delighted, this is the first time we have won gold at the world championships. We have won everything and everyone over the years, but this medal was missing and we really wanted it. In the race we strategized like crazy. Yesterday we studied the opponents, the courses, the pace, the timing. We all did well. The girls to hold position and follow right routes and trails. Then Acerenza gave me the right change. I had asked Mimmo to let me start first, in the lead, not behind either Hungary or Germany. He succeeded, and I held my own. The world championship had not started in the right way, without medals and Olympic passes, but the condition has grown over time. We know how strong we are. We have to try to express it all the time, despite the difficulties, even if objectively the cross-country project is going very well. This medal is proof of that. We have dreamed many times of winning gold at the world championships as a team, and we finally succeeded.”
Acerenza’s comment: “We turned over waves and opponents. We were fantastic. Pozzobon and Taddeucci handled the fractions, getting me going without a resounding gap. I handled the currents well. I knew that every second mattered, so in the last 50-60 meters I put my legs full out. I knew it was the last sprint of the world championships, and I left all my energy in the water to please Paltrinieri, who had asked me to start in the lead. Then he finished great. After the change I was almost sure of success, but until you touch anything can happen and the sea today was difficult; it was important to assess the currents well, avoid obstacles, adapt. Greg’s fraction was endless. The beautiful thing is to sing Mameli’s anthem all together. As a team, with the team. There is union, strength, compactness. Italy is strong.”
Taddeucci’s comment, “Wow, how exciting. We are world champions. We left nothing to chance. Perfect changes. Total synchronization. Race executed as studied. There is so much satisfaction. I was able to keep in Leonie Beck’s wake and give a good change to Acerenza. We are a squadron.”
